From left, Kristi Kiick has been named College of Engineering deputy dean and associate dean for external affairs; Yushan Yan has been named associate dean for research and entrepreneurship; and Randy Duncan has been named associate dean for diversity. See Announcements.

It was a day of triumph, cheers and collective relief as more than 160 students from 21 nations participated in the University of Delaware's Doctoral Hooding Convocation held Friday morning on The Green.

Babtunde A. Ogunnaike, dean of the College of Engineering, has announced that Kristi Kiick will become deputy dean and associate dean for external affairs; Yushan Yan will serve as associate dean for research and entrepreneurship; and Randy Duncan will become the first associate dean for diversity in the college’s history. The appointments are effective Sept. 1.

Kiick has served as deputy dean since 2011, with a portfolio that included research and external affairs. An internationally known scholar in the area of biomaterials design, synthesis and characterization, her research currently focuses on the development of polymeric materials for cardiovascular, cancer and vocal fold therapies. She has authored nearly 100 papers and book chapters, holds 17 U.S. patents and has recently been named a fellow of the American Chemical Society. She remains actively involved in engineering and campus-wide activities aimed at improving the representation of female faculty in science and engineering, and recently completed organizational development training through Drexel University College of Medicine’s Executive Leadership in Academic Technology and Engineering (ELATE) program. Kiick also serves on the advisory and editorial boards for multiple journals and organizations. As deputy dean she will continue to represent the college in the absence of the dean. As associate dean for external affairs, she will focus more heavily on developing external partnerships as we work to elevate the college’s profile outside UD.

Yan joined UD in 2011 as Distinguished Engineering Professor. Known world-wide for using nanomaterials to solve problems in energy engineering, environmental sustainability and electronics, his work, which is widely cited in the scientific community, has received significant attention from media and technical magazines. He has published more than 150 journal articles and is the inventor of numerous issued and pending patents, many of which were licensed to form technology startups including NanoH2O and OH-Energy. Yan brings this vast experience in research, innovation and entrepreneurship to the position.

Duncan joined UD in 2005 as a professor of biological sciences, where he served as department chair from 2009-14. He holds joint appointments in biomedical engineering and mechanical engineering and is internationally recognized for his musculoskeletal research, some of which is carried out in collaboration with several engineering faculty. As a result of his work on the National Science Foundation ADVANCE team, Duncan established a strong mentoring program in biological sciences to enhance the recruitment and retention of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. To date, he has mentored, or is currently mentoring, eight faculty in engineering. Duncan will help consolidate and expand the college’s diversity efforts.

“I look forward to achieving a new level of excellence and prominence with these excellent additions to our college leadership team,” Ogunnaike said.

Presentations

Cynthia Boettger, doctoral student in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, was a recipient of the second Lohmann and K.A. Schat Scientific Award at the 10th annual Symposium on Marek’s Disease and Avian Herpesviruses held in East Lansing, Michigan, July 20-23. She was awarded third prize in the student competition for best research presentation on Marek’s disease and infectious laryngotracheitis. Her oral presentation was titled “A Commercial ILTV CEO Vaccine is Composed of a Mixed Population of Viruses Exhibiting Differences in Pathogenicity and Sequence.”

Scholarships

Sage Boettcher, a 2012 UD graduate with a bachelor of science degree in psychology who went on to study at Harvard University, has been awarded a 2014-15 graduate study fellowship by the German Academic Exchange Service, (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst, or DAAD), the national agency for the support of international academic cooperation. DAAD scholarships are highly competitive and recipients are selected by independent selection committees on the basis of outstanding academic records and convincing project proposals or statements of purpose. DAAD offers programs and funding for students, faculty, researchers and others in higher education providing financial support to over 55,000 individuals per year. DAAD also represents the German higher education system abroad, promoting Germany as an academic and research destination and establishes ties among institutions around the world.

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